Cha cha cha changes…

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coffee creamer -New

I can’t seem to have a thought in my head without breaking out in song!  Thank you David Bowie.  Changing things in my house is a constant and I’m always doing tiny things that keep my hands and mind busy.  Little things start to get on my nerves and I have to cha cha cha change them!

It could be that I’m trying to distract myself from the bedroom cabinet project.. which is almost finished!  While I was playing lovely assistant to my husband as he fixed the squeaky shower valve in the bathroom it only made me notice ….

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She’s lovely… but she squeaks!

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Danze Parma

It’s always SOMETHING! I guess that comes with home ownership, doesn’t it? There’s always a “to do” list that seems to shrink and grow at the same time.
(add to list — Repair Shower Valve)

So here’s my lovely Danze shower valve with chrome trim. I love her. She batted her eyes at me online and said “buy me, I’m so simple and pretty, buy me”! I fell for it, she was mine. After glowing reviews and 5 stars a plenty… she arrived during our bathroom renovation and was installed end of 2010.

We really don’t use this bathroom much at all… so ….

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Help, I’m stuck!

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George Nelso Jewelry Storage

After 3 weekends of doing nothing on my bedroom project because of my job, I finally have a weekend to get back on track. I’m at a point in the refinishing of our built-ins where I need to make a decision and just can’t. I’m having such a hard time and Richie tends to pull that “oh, whatever you choose will be fine”, thing. I appreciate his flexibility but it’s not helping me to actually come up with a FINAL decision that I won’t regret later. (ahhhhhhhh!)

So many of you have incredible homes and amazing design eyes… so I need ….

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just gonna insta-fake-it

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Instagram Fake - House

I admit, I’m a lover of the Instagram app available on iPhone. Unfortunately I do not currently own one but I’m working on changing that. I think I would have so much fun having a decent camera at my finger tips. There are so many moments when I’m wondering around town and think “if only”. Picture perfect moments pass me by. DANG!

It also doesn’t help that some of my favorite blogs in the past week have featured their Instagram pictures and I’m so JEALOUS! There’s just something about that filtered /vintage look that turns me on. Really that shouldn’t surprise ….

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Thrifty Finds – how’s your memory?

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Eames Memory Game

My last post was pictures of the moon and to be honest I feel like I’ve been on the moon these past 2 1/2 weeks. I’ve been absent from all the things I love and I’m feeling out of sorts. But things are about to improve, as I am FINALLY off the air and our fundraising is over and now I just have to get through the jazz concert we’re hosting this weekend. I’m sure many of you feel the same when I say “I work to live”… never “live to work”. It is a necessity but I’m ready to ….

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super moon.. really was

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Super Moon

I hope you all got a chance to look up in the sky this evening and see the beautiful “Super Moon”. Of course all the hype had me waiting anxiously to see the big glowing sky but really it would have been hard to miss.

It was almost impossible to not notice, as our entire house was flooded with moonlight and the glow was just beautiful. I could see the moon through the trees outside our bedroom window and grabbed my camera to TRY to get some shots.

Obviously I’m a total and complete amateur because I don’t even own a ….

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Is it done yet?

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Refinished Drawers

After starting our re-finishing of the built-in cabinets/dresser in the master bedroom I was feeling really great about how it was going.  My plan to get this done in 2 weeks seemed doable. The stripping seemed to be getting the finish off and the sanding was revealing some really beautiful wood under it all.  YES, finally a job I could complete and have fabulous before and afters. WHATEVER! Then reality hits.  So the answer to is it done yet is simply a sigh of NO, not yet.  Unfortunately it’s always something and this time it’s my job slowing me down.

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digital mags = pretty places

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EST to buy

WARNING: Dirty Word Alert! There is one… but it’s relevant.

In the past year I have really gotten into the idea of digital magazines. Subscribing to so many paper publications I inevitably end up with way too many… and then feel guilty about throwing them out. I always try to purge and go through all these beautiful magazines and get them to a recycling center. Technology has really helped me with my ongoing battle and guilt of buying and then throwing away. I’m really trying to think more about what gets thrown into a landfill and what I ….

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Thrifty Finds

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Knoll Office Credenza

It’s been a pretty good week for finds and I thought I’d share a few. We are always on the hunt for things big and small and usually find at least one or two things worth keeping. Sometimes we find stuff that we don’t need but know we can sell. We’re not crazy hoarders or anything but I’ve learned over the years to NOT say “no” and walk away too fast. Sometimes you regret leaving things behind.

There was a silent auction at the University where I work and I’ve bought a few things in the past but usually it’s just ….

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A great place to raise a family

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Modern Bird Houses

At least it must be since I’ve watched 4 families move in, raise some babies, and then move out. There’s a lot of action in this tree. It’s not renovation talk but it’s definitely about a “nest”. I’m talking about the beautiful red-breasted robins that seem to feel safe and happy in the small tree/bush on the edge of our driveway. It’s in desperate need of a trim but we haven’t wanted to mess with it and frighten the birds or reveal the beautiful little nest they’ve built.

I’m a sucker for things like this so just bare with me today. ….

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Stripping Down

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sanded drawers

Weekends are made for fun! Right? So now we’re starting fun weekend project #568. Okay I’m exaggerating it’s probably more like #425 give or take a few. Time to start refinishing the built in cabinets in our bedroom.

When you’re having to live in a house that you’re renovating (as so many of you do) and you’re going room by room and trying to continue some sort of “normal” life in this mess, it’s almost more difficult than if we had moved out and tore up the place. Every time I get to a room it sometime feels like I’m going ….

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Secret Doors: letting the outside in

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Sliding Glass Panels

I think we can all agree that getting some fresh air is good for the soul… and mind, and body for that matter. I also know that many mid-century modern architects loved to design homes in a way that allowed nature and the outdoors to become part of your indoor living space. Many felt it was important to blend the two. Frank Lloyd Wright referred to it as open-plan living, to bring the outside in. Architect Richard Neutra was another who said, “Place man in relationship to nature; that’s where he developed and where he feels most at home!”

Their intent ….

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This and That in the Bedroom

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Roof Support Beams

Oh… get your mind out of the gutter. It’s not that kind of post. HA!

The weekends come and go so quickly that I’m not sure I even had one last week. We didn’t make a lot of progress on the Master Bedroom because there were so many other things that needed to be done.

You know things have gone too far when you star seeing cobwebs on the artwork like we’re living in some haunted house, there’s “pink slime” in the toilet that even the FDA wouldn’t approve of and you go to get the cat off the couch and you ….

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Let There Be Light

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Artemide Tolomeo Floor Lamp

We’re getting closer and closer to finishing our bedroom and I’m starting to gather some of the things I’ll need to pull it all together. I got the rug delivered and now it was time to do my part for the economy and spend a little cash on some bedroom reading lamps. Richie calls me the queen of tight wads and…. well, I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you! I admit, I hold on tight to my money and I’m NOT a frivolous spender. HOWEVER, saving your money and buying things that will bring you years of enjoyment ….

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How does your garden grow?

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Tomato Garden 2012

Ours seems to be kickin’ it! We planted our tomatoes a couple of weeks ago and they’re really showing off. I forgot to take a picture when we planted them but they were about an inch and a half tall. The grape tomatoes seem to have super powers. They’re the biggest and already have little ‘maters on them. I love having a big bowl of grape tomatoes on the counter for snacks in the summer time. DELICIOUS!

We have always planted a garden and we love the idea of walking out and picking fresh food right outside our door… but really ….

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